DIY: Basic Cubic Ottoman from wooden crate

.: Ottoman After:.

.:Crate Before:.

Materials needed:
-Wooden Crate (Any dimension)
-Piece of Plywood (Saw a piece of 1/4 inch plywood to cover up the crate if it has an open side)
-Glue (All-purpose is ok)
-Felt (Thick enough for padding the sides)
-2 inch foam (The kind for padding sofas, to make the "seat") I also padded the bottom side with 1/4 inch foam (I used a kitchen knife to cut the foam & scissors to cut the felt)
-Staples, Nails (Let's say I want a staple gun for christmas)
-Fabric (Sofa quality, but thick curtain fabric should do), Matching Thread.

I won't talk about dimensions, since it entirely depends on the type of crate you can lay your hands on!

Step 1: Close up the crate by nailing the plywood. Step 2: Measure& cut the foam and felt for each side

Step 3: Glue the padding materials. A small amount is enough

From here on, it seems like I'm missing a few photos (oops!). Step 4: Sew a cover, but making sure the sides are slightly longer than the actual height of the ottoman, so you can tuck the excess fabric under and staple it in place. Step 5: To make the bottom side, you can go lazy easy like me and simply sew a square piece of fabric and glue it. Or go with a suggestion I had [oh yeah, this ottoman gave way to an animated discussion on the design, the making of, the choice of color, the... pretty much anything! It was a Freakin I’m not doing another project with you again fun family DIY=)], which was to make use of rubber strips to make "legs" for the ottoman.

We've been enjoying this ottoman very much at home, especially on movie nights. And talks of making a second one might or might not have been heard...If any family member is reading this, you know who you are, YOU can add the piping, the tufting, the legs...

Before/After: Footstool & Hamper

Hamper before

Footstool before

After

 Three layers of white acrylic paint and a new fabric later, voilàaa.

Also, I'd like to say thank you to Astrid of Grandma's Red Needle for the lovely award she sent my way! Go read about the adventures of a Norwegian woman in tropical Mauritius, it's so much fun:D & of course, check out her amazing quilts.

The rules say that I am supposed to say something about me, that you don't already know, then pass the award along to others. Let's go back to high school. hehe. Back then (graduated in 2003), I was way more into science that into art. I had no idea how embracing your creative side was something that could be so fulfilling!

Ok, I know it said pass along to others, but I'd like any of you crafty bloggers to grab the award. And to link back so I can visit you:)

These were made for each other

Penguin's Classic cloth-bound books& the library below

Images Via Shoebox Decor

Look! Pallet Furniture

Before/After

D.I.Y

• Roughly sand the wood using low-grade sandpaper.
  
• Under the boards, attach two pieces of thin hardboard or a similar material. The hardboard should be cut to completely cover the cracks between the boards, but underneath the edge boards, they should be slightly shorter, so they won't be seen. The grainy side of the hardboard should face upwards.
  
• Glue and nail down each piece of hardboard.
  
• Then nail some cheap wood (such as wood from a wooden crate) along the ends of the pallet boards, to create a makeshift formwork.
• To help fill in the cracks, nail down a few pieces of scrap wood. These strips of wood will disappear in the mortar. Make a thickish mortar and smooth it on with a knife. You may need to apply a second layer.
  
• Once the mortar is dry, remove the formwork and carefully sand the table top.
  
• Cut out some new pieces of hardboard to support the drawers. You can also add drawer stops.
  
• Measure the space and make drawers of the right size or buy them.
• For this coffee table, Fira drawers from Ikea were used. The drawers were simply turned around and a knob added on the side. The drawers are both practical and decorative. You can either paint the mortar or leave it as is.
  
• This table was decorated with natural ochre-colored potato paint. The finish is two coats of standard linseed oil.
• To make "legs" for the coffee table, attach two thick boards, such as formwork planks, to the sides of the pallet, using 80 mm (3 in) screws.
  
• To make the table even sturdier, fasten corner brackets, such as those used to brace chairs, to the palette and the inside of the "legs".
  

(Instructions are from Esprit cabanne)

Speaking of cabanne, look at what can be achieved with what should have been scrapped pieces of wood. Amazing Treehouse!

Sources: 1.&2. from Not Beige and 3. from AT

Before/After: Chair Makeover

Sharing this great refurbishing job on a thrifted chair from Country Living. Paint, fabric and dress-maker details all for $53. This is exactly what I had in mind for a chair makeover. Do you want to know what's creepy, the thrifted chair resembles my own chair....a lot!

What do you think of monograms?Pretentious or Chic detailing?

p.s: don't forget to visit LiveYourStyle for the give-away:)